Missional-Life

part of the 20 reason to move to Peterborough series

Tim Keller in his many articles and talks on city focused church planting has done an excellent job of articulating the need for a radical change in thinking amongst many Christians. The city is not a place to escape, but rather a place to embrace with a gospel transforming love! The city is not a place of sin whilst the leafy suburbs and villages are an idyllic refuge. No all of humanity has been ‘infected’ with the disease of sin (Eph 2, Rom 1-3). As a result ALL of humanity, including the cities need churches that will love enough to give their lives to see gospel-centred churches established that share through words and works the wonderful gift of salvation. Love the city. Love the people of the city. Love them enough to give your life to seeing the city transformed!

part of the 20 reasons to move to Peterborough series.

The real hope for Peterborough does not depend upon economic or political vitality. Rather, the hope of Peterborough is Christ’s church (Matt 5:14; Eph 3:10)! Peterborough needs many gospel-centred churches that will have a deeply transformational effect upon the city as they serve it with humility and love!

Hope filled churches needs people who are willing to give their lives for the sake of gospel transformation. Are you one of those people?

part of the 20 reasons to move to Peterborough series

Peterborough is a great city to live in because it is situated near to many key transport links in the UK. The A1 runs along the city boundary. Peterborough’s train station has fast trains into London and the North. It is also close to a number of regional airports such as Standsted, Luton and East Midlands.

Part of the 20 reason to move to Peterborough series

Over the past few months as my family and I have been travelling up to Peterborough on an increasingly frequent basis we have noticed how well equipped the city is to cater for families! The city boasts some great parks and outdoor sports facilities such as rowing and sailing, as well as the usual indoor entertainment facilities such as cinemas, swimming pools, ice-skating, bowling, shopping malls and leisure clubs. I reckon Peterborough is a great size city to bring up children in. Why not come and check it out?

series: 20 reasons to move to Peterborough

Peterborough is a richly diverse place! Take a stroll through the City centre, Gladstone or down the Lincoln Road and you will hear, see and meet people from many, many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. In a city of growing diversity we as a church have the prime opportunity to present to the city and region, the glorious rainbow-like nature of God’s family! In Eph 2 & 3 we are told that Christ’s plan for His church is that it would be a wonderfully unified rainbow-like family! Every dividing wall dismantled by a radical encounter with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! This same truth is also presented in the Isaiah’s great prophetic description of the church. It says that “All the nations shall flow to it” (Is 2:2, ESV). Racial and ethnic diversity is not some modern invention by political parties, it is in the very heart and fabric of the gospel. The gospel breaks down manmade barriers and unites people around Christ! This is a thrilling prospect in a city like Peterborough. Why not come and join this great adventure to see a mature and glorious expression of Christ’s rainbow-like church in Peterborough!

Tomorrow I’m on the road again heading over to Peterborough to spend the weekend with Nene Family Church. I’m really looking forward to it. On Sunday I’m continuing my series called “I believe in…” and will be looking at Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Please pray that many people have a powerful encounter with God!

As you can see my office is filling up with boxes inprepation for our move to Peterborough later this year.

Reason 5 of 20 ‘Why not move to Peterborough?

John Hosier in his book ‘ God’s Radiant Church’ said:

“What is God doing in the earth today? Jesus made the answer very clear when he declared that he would build his church.

There is a call … to take the promise of Jesus seriously. What Jesus has promised to do is what he will do until the very last day of history. I believe that to be part of the church is therefore to be part of the most important work that God is doing on the earth today. The church is the very epicentre of God’s focus and attention. Nothing can be more worthwhile than to be part of what God is giving such attention to upon the earth.”

Peterborough and the surrounding villages needs a people who have captured God’s promise, plan and purpose for His church! Why not come and join God’s great adventure in Peterborough!

Here’s a succinct definition of missional church:

“To be missional means that the individual members and the body as a whole understand and follow their calling from God to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ fervently to as many people as the Holy Spirit would lead. It means that we are engaged in personal relationships with the lost on purpose in order to show them the love of Christ and how He sacrificed His Son to die for our sins so that we could escape the condemnation already placed upon us as a sinner by birth.” Scott Thomas

Reason 4 of 20 Why not move to Peterborough?

For too long there has been an uncontrollable haemorrhaging of people from churches across this land. We want to build a church that ‘bucks the trend’, by being a place awash with the life of God. Isaiah 2 tells us that God’s church should be a place that is attractive to “all the nations” and as a result they “shall flow to it”.